Roses and mulch

Question

We sadly lost two huge Oak trees exactly one yr apart. A stump grinder came in and now two big piles of shavings. Can I use these to bed the gardens? Many, many roses, lilys and other perennials. Should I put pine needles around the roses? This facility is in upstate SC and I have gotten roses blooming and thriving after a couple years of neglect. Thanks for anything you can throw my way.
🙂 50 roses

Answer 1

I would use the pine needles for mulch for the roses. The oak shavings need to be composted with something else for at least a year. Otherwise they tend to bind up or take up the nitrogen in the soils that the plants need to thrive. Thus I would not use it on any of the gardens until it has had the year of composting. Mixing it into a large manure pile that is being left age to mellow out for composting use would be a great use. Once the two have aged together for a year or a little more, you will have a fine product for your gardens. For information on your roses, check out some of my articles here: https://www.gardeningknowhow.com/ornamental/flowers/roses/ Or do a search at our Gardening Know How site for Roseman Stan and a bunch of links to my articles will come up. I can be consulted by email as well. (Stan)